Clamp



Aug. 8, 1944. c. L. .MCCULLOUGH CLAMP Filed July 2'7. 1943 Inventor Clarence L, M ''ullouyh Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" GLAMP Clarence L. McCullough, Zanesville, Ohio Application July 27, 1943, Serial No. 496,345

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in clamps for holding pieces of work, such as small machine parts, to a fixed part of a machine or other object.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simply constructed, easily operated clamp equipped to yieldingly oppose variable pressure against the piece of work, and which is adapted for quick release, easy adjustment in a fine degree for use with pieces of work of different thicknesses, is inexpensive to manufacture and will not readily get out of order.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a yiew in plan illustrating my improved clamp in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a detail view in horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of the clamping leg and foot.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved clamp, as illustrated, comprises a bracket I including a base plate 2 adapted to be attached to a fixed part 3 by means of machine screws 4, and a pair of opposed, laterally spaced, parallel webs 5 extending from said base plate 2 at right angles thereto.

A bifurcated clamping arm 6 is pivoted at one end, as at I, to said webs 5 adjacent one end of the bracket to be swung between the webs in opposite directions toward and from said plate 2, respectively. The clamping arm 6 is constructed and arranged to provide an enlarged, semi-cylindrical, socket-forming free end 8 thereon as best shown in Figure 3.

A clamping leg extends from said free end 8 of the clamping arm 6 at a right angle to said arm and comprises a threaded bolt 9 slidably extended through the socket formed by said end 8 of the arm 6 for longitudinal adjustment in said arm 6. A pair of lock nuts ID on the bolt 9, at opposite sides of said arm 6, provides for adjusting the bolt, and leg, into different set positions. A hollow, resilient foot II surrounds the head I2 of the bolt 9 for clamping engagement with a piece of work represented at I3. Preferably the foot I2 is provided with a serrated base I4 for engagement with the piece of work I3.

A rivet I5 extends transversely through the webs 5 adjacent the end of the bracket I opposite to that near which the pivot I is located. The purpose of the rivet I 5 will presently appear.

A clamping lever I6 is pivoted at one end, as at IT, to the clamping arm 6, intermediate the ends of the latter, for swinging between the furcations of said clamping arm 6 in opposite directions. The clamping lever I6 is provided at its pivoted end with an edge hook I8 adaptedto be swung into and out of the space between the webs 5 and into and out of straddling relation to the rivet I5 under swinging of the clamping lever I6 in opposite directions, respectively. The hook I8 is provided with an inner edge I9 eccentric to the pivot I! of the clamping lever I6 and for camming engagement with the rivet I5, the arrangement being such that if the clamping arm 6 is swung toward the support 3 to engage the clamping foot II with the piece of work I3, and the clamping lever I6 is then swung in a proper direction to swing the hook I8 into clamping engagement with the rivet I5, said eccentric edge I9 of the hook I8 will coact with the rivet I5 to cam the clamping arm I6 in the direction of the piece of work and thereby tighten the clamping foot I I against said work. A suitable thumb piece 20 is provided on the end of the clamping lever I 6 opposite to the end equipped with the hook I8.

The manner in which my improved clamp is designed to be operated to exert pressure against the piece of work I3 and thereby clamp the'same in position against the part 3 having been set forth in the foregoing, need not be further explained. To release the piece of work I3, it is merely necessary to swing the clamping lever I6 in the proper direction to withdraw the hook I8 from straddling relation to the rivet I5, as will be clear. In this connection, it is to be noted that the hook I8 need not be completely withdrawn from between the webs 5 to release the clamp and that the clamping pressure exerted by the foot I I may be varied by virtue of the gradual camming action which may be effected by the edge I9 and rivet I5 in different positions of the clamp lever I6. By adjusting the leg 9 in the clamping arm I6, in the manner already described, the clamp may be conditioned to effect the desired clamping action against work pieces I3 of different thicknesses.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A clamp for use on a fixed part of a machine or the like to clamp a piece of work against said part comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to said part, a clamping arm pivotally mounted at one end on said bracket for swinging toward and from said part, a clamping leg extending from the other endof said arm at a 10 

